Search for survivors ends a day after Lagos building collapse

Nigerian officials have called off search-and-rescue efforts a day after a building, with a school on the third floor, collapsed in Lagos with an unknown number of people inside.

On Thursday, National Emergency Management Agency official Ibrahim Farinloye told The Associated Press that the workers had reached the foundation of the collapsed building and did not expect to find more people.

The decision to call off the search was protested by some anguished families.

At least eight people are thought to have died but the toll could rise.

Farinloye declined to give updated numbers for the dead and missing. Late on Wednesday, officials said 37 people were freed and an unknown number of people are still missing.

“Emergency workers are moving material out of the location because they believe the operations are over, but the locals insist that operations must continue because they believe that there are many people still trapped under the rubble,” said Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris, reporting from the scene.

A crowd of thousands of people cheered on Wednesday as dust-covered, shocked-looking children were pulled from the rubble.